LOS ANGELES – San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard had faced the Dodgers three times this season before Wednesday.

Richard had never faced the post-trade deadline, Flyin’ Hawaiian-HanRam-AGon Dodgers, though the pre-deadline Dodgers usually packed about as much offensive punch.

Not this time. The Dodgers collected 10 hits off Richard and pushed across three runs in 4 2/3 innings, sending the Padres’ winningest pitcher to his shortest start of the season.

That wasn’t enough to avoid another nail-biter in a seven-game homestand that’s featured seven of them.

San Diego scored three runs in the first inning off Dodgers starter Aaron Harang and another off Shawn Tolleson in the seventh. The Padres led 4-3 in the top of the ninth as of press time at Dodger Stadium.

Harang allowed a single to Everth Cabrera to lead off the game and walked Will Venable to bring up Chase Headley. Headley, the reigning National League player of the month, ripped a double off the center-field wall that scored Cabrera from second base.

Venable scored, too, when Hanley Ramirez’s throw from the deep shortstop hole sailed wide of Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis and bounced toward the Padres’ dugout. Headley went to third base on the error, then scored on a swinging-bunt single by Yasmani Grandal.

Only two of the runs were earned, but Harang and the Dodgers were batting from behind in the first inning for the second straight day.

The Dodgers responded with single runs in the second, third and fifth innings to tie the score.

Ramirez, Andre Ethier and Luis Cruz led off the second inning with consecutive singles, the latter scoring Ramirez from second base. With one out, Harang laid down a bunt that the Padres turned into a rare 5-6-4 double play when Headley charged the plate from third base to snuff out the sacrifice.

Mark Ellis, Shane Victorino and Adrian Gonzalez led off the third inning with consecutive singles, the latter scoring Ellis from second base. But Richard came back to get Ethier and Cruz to end the inning without allowing another run.

Victorino and Gonzalez led off the fifth inning with consecutive singles. Matt Kemp beat out a potential double-play ball, sending Victorino to third base, and Ramirez drove him in with an RBI single.

Again, however, Ethier and Cruz popped out to end another Dodgers’ threat.

Tolleson relieved Harang in the seventh inning and issued a leadoff walk to Venable, who came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Quentin for the go-ahead run.

Harang allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out one in five innings, leaving without a decision for the second straight game.

The San Francisco Giants were in position to lose their second straight game, trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 in the eighth inning as of press time. The Giants began Wednesday with a 4 -game lead over the second-place Dodgers in the National League West standings.

Billingsley season over

Chad Billingsley smiled through a news conference in the Dodgers’ dugout. He cracked jokes. His optimism appeared genuine.

But on the day his season was declared over, Billingsley also acknowledged that the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow could require Tommy John surgery if it does not improve after receiving a second platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection Wednesday.

“There’s some slight tearing going on in there,” he said, “so that’s not good.”

The Dodgers transferred Billingsley to the 60-day disabled list and added Double-A pitcher Steven “Paco” Rodriguez to the 40-man roster.

The move was not unexpected and was confirmed to Billingsley by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday night.

Billingsley said he was told “there’s a chance” he will need Tommy John surgery, “but from the time I had my first PRP it feels pretty good.”

Recovery time for the surgery normally takes 12 to 18 months, though it takes some pitchers longer to regain their previous form. One of those is Chris Capuano, who has been more effective in his second full season back from Tommy John surgery (11-10, 3.63 ERA) with the Dodgers than he was last year with the New York Mets (11-12, 4.55).

Precocious Paco

Rodriguez was eating lunch at Double-A Chattanooga when Dodgers farm director De Jon Watson called with some alleged “bad news.”

“I said, `What’s going on?’ and he’s like, `You’re going to have to drop your food, go pack your (belongings) and come in to L.A.’ My heart just started beating fast,” Rodriguez said. “A great feeling. Then I just called my parents, let them know I was coming up.”

No 2012 draft pick has pitched in a major-league game yet so Rodriguez, whom the Dodgers drafted in the second round (82nd overall) in June out of the University of Florida, was understandably surprised to get the call.

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